


Sweater Weather/Say Something

by kierathefangirl



Category: 2P Hetalia - Fandom, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 2P!GerIta - Freeform, 2P!Spamano - Freeform, Dark backstory but lots of fluff in-story, F/M, Feli being manipulative just by being himself, Fluff, High School AU, LOTS OF BAD STUFF BUT ALSO A LOT OF FLUFF, M/M, Mean family members, Mentions of Rape, cute Feli, dark af backstory, gerita - Freeform, lots of 2P fluff, mentions of suicidal stuff, protective Feli, really mean 2P!Italy family, spamano - Freeform, suicidal stuff, there's some suicidal stuff with 2P!North Italy sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-25 23:19:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 13,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9851312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kierathefangirl/pseuds/kierathefangirl
Summary: 1P!North Italy goes to meet with Italian family in Italy (not where he lives in-story, he lives in WA, USA) with his boyfriend 1P!Germany, and that's where he meets 2P!Seborga, North Italy, and South Italy brothers.





	1. Luciano and Flavio (Feli's POV)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DandyDonut17](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DandyDonut17/gifts).



> Lots of dark backstory stuff... Began as inspiration from a bunch of 2P!North Italy MMDs...but turned into a whole thing. It's got a really dark backstory and stuff but it's really fluffy/angsty in-story. The names associated with each character (1P & 2P) are all up in the character tags if you need to know who someone is.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feli goes for a walk for some fresh air. He ends up at the Tiber River, where he meets Luciano and his older brother Flavio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Tiber River is an actual place in Rome, Italy. I did my research. :)
> 
> Feli's POV. Mentions of suicide/rape, attempted suicide, lots of dark stuff. Feli promises to help out (assertiveness!)

I need some fresh air, so I slip from the room and out onto the streets. My feet guide me, and I end up standing at the railing by the Tiber River, breathing in the fresh and cold air.

My eyes travel up the railing to find someone in dark clothes and gloves standing on the other side of the railing, staring down at the river, just up the bank.

After a moment’s shock, I shake myself a little and move up towards him. I reach out and lay a hand over his, and he jumps a little, his head turning slightly towards me.

“It’s not worth it,” I tell him quietly. “Believe me. Wouldn’t you rather prove them wrong and become the greatest person they can never hear the end of?”

His eyes flick once to my hand on his, then to the water. He shuffles a fraction of a step closer.

I tighten my grip on his hand, tugging back a little. “Please.”

A boy who’s just a bit shorter than him comes running up, blonde hair and amber eyes glowing in the night’s streetlights. “Wait,” he says. “Luciano, fratellino, Lucca, please don’t!”

He slides to a stop and drags Lucca over the railing, then immediately lets go of him. “Don’t.”

Lucca drops his dark red eyes to the ground dejectedly. I refuse to let go of his hand, and that seems to catch his attention far more than his brother’s protests. His eyes travel slowly up to mine, and he looks almost scared. He reminds me of Lovi when he looks at me like that, and it hurts. I take a step closer.

The other boy’s eyes turn to me as well. “I-I don’t think we know you...?”

I drop my eyes. “I’m Feli.”

“Flavio,” he returns. “And this is my fratellino Lucca.”

I glance up at Lucca. He still has that scared and confused look, and it still hurts.

I drop my eyes, not because I’m scared but because I don’t want to hurt him with my own pain.

Flavio shifts uneasily on his feet. “Uh—uh, p-people don’t usually...no one touches us.”

Rather than pulling away, I tighten my grip on Lucca’s hand. Lucca shifts a little as well, but he makes no move to pull away.

After a long pause, Flavio says, “Why are you...why do you care?”

I look up, surprised. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t care?”

They both look taken aback. Flavio—who seems to be the spokesperson of the two—starts to shake his head, then stops. “Well...people avoid us because we’re different. I-I’m bi, and Lucca’s...”

“Gay?” I finish questioningly.

He nods. I shrug. “I’m bi, my oldest brother is bi, and my older brother Lovi’s gay. I don’t care.”

I shift a little, dropping my eyes to my feet. “I wouldn’t be here, but...my boyfriend insisted on meeting my family. They kicked us all to the streets, and we left.”

Lucca straightens just a little. “Wh-what’s...what’s your last name?”

“Vargas.”

They exchange a glance. I shift again. “Um...Maria and Valentino Vargas are the ones who really kicked us out. The others didn’t get much of a say in it. And Valentino was really....bad...with Lovi and I, to say the least. I don’t know if he did the same thing to Sebastian, though.”

“Sebastian, Lovino, and Feliciano Vargas?” Flavio asks quietly.

I blink a few times. “I—uh, yeah? Why?”

“There’ve been whispers about you on the streets,” he says. “Especially you. They say you’re the most innocent, the kindest, of the three.”

I duck my head. “Lovi’s not very innocent because Valentino and Hayden—a kid where we are—both broke him. But he’s still really nice, if he’s given a chance.”

Lucca’s hand closes extremely lightly on mine. “M-most people aren’t very nice to us,” he says quietly.

I look up again. “Well, they don’t deserve you.”

They both look taken aback again. Flavio shakes his head. “What?”

I can’t help it; I smile. It’s a weary smile, a nervous smile, but it’s probably the most they’ve gotten in awhile judging by their shocked silence. “You heard me.”

Lucca fidgets. “You’re the first person we’ve ever met that _doesn’t_...”

He drifts off. I shift forward, pulling him to me. It’s the first time I’ve just hugged a stranger without asking like this, but they seem to need it. Affection seems...beyond them.

Lucca is so startled it takes him several minutes to answer the affection with his own. And when he does, it’s very shy and very gentle.

I wait another minute before letting him go, brushing his hair from his face. He’s freezing cold, enough that the brush of my fingers makes him shiver.

“Jeeze, you’re cold.”

He almost laughs. “Because we got kicked to the streets a couple years ago. We haven’t been warm in a long time. Not really.”

I reach up and lay a hand on his cheek, concern bending my brows down towards my eyes. “Your family’s shit, too, then.”

“We have an older brother,” Flavio says shyly. “Sebastiano. He’s eighteen. But he’s straight and he...well, he turned on us, too.”

“Not for long,” I say with such confidence they exchange a startled glance.

“What?” Flavio asks, surprised, as my hand falls back to my side.

“If I’m here anyway I might as well try,” I shrug. “Sebastian’s twenty-six and I know what it’s like from him to be a big brother. You’d be surprised how little effort it takes to get him on your side. Especially with my influence.”

Lucca blinks slowly. “Y-you’re saying you’d...you’d talk to him?”

I nod. They exchange glances. “Y-you’d have to get through our parents,” Flavio says nervously.

“I can do that,” I shrug casually. “I can make people listen to me.”

“Our parents are...well, abusive to say the least,” Lucca mutters.

“Lucca!” Flavio snaps. “Don’t say that.”

Lucca cringes. “They hit me multiple times, Flavee, that’s abuse.”

“If they even hit you once it’s abuse,” I agree. “Or if they do anything you don’t like without consent—like Valentino does.”

Flavio gives me a weird look. “What do you mean without consent?”

“I’m talking rape,” I explain quietly. “He did it to Lovi and I, and he wasn’t alone either.”

Lucca inhales sharply and looks up. “ _What?_ ”

I refuse to make eye contact; I haven’t told Sebastian about this. “I’m not gonna repeat it. But that’s part of why we are how we are. Lovi broke under the pressure; I rose to the occasion and threatened to tell his parents and mine. That’s part of why they kicked us out—his mom, Maria, didn’t want to believe he could’ve done that to us. So she turned everyone on us instead.”

Flavio reaches out but doesn’t touch me. “That’s...but that’s bullshit. Can’t you just call her out on it?”

I shake my head slowly. “I tried. But they didn’t listen because I’m bi and that makes any of my _opinions_ wrong, at least to them. I’m hoping that maybe...maybe this time will be different. But I’m still scared.”

I reach out and let my fingers brush his hand. “I’m not gonna let it happen to another couple kids. It’s wrong. It doesn’t change who you are, it’s _part_ of who you are.”

“I’m sixteen,” Flavio says, “I’m not a kid.”

“Eighteen is the brink of adulthood,” I point out. “So technically you are. I’m fourteen and Lovi’s sixteen. Seb’s an adult. But we’re not.”

“I’m fourteen,” Lucca mutters. “And Sebastiano’s eighteen.”

I reach up and lay my hand lightly on his cold cheek. “Age is just a number—what matters is what you do with the time you have. I won’t just stand by doing nothing when people suffer.”

Lucca closes his eyes for a moment. “You’re gonna get yourself hurt,” he protests.

“No, I won’t.” I let my hand fall and a smile turn my lips up. “I won’t.”


	2. Sebastiano (Feli's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feli talks to Sebastiano (who's pretty intimidating). A plan is formed. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feli's POV.

“Who are you?” the man demands.

“I need to talk to Sebastiano,” I say with a smile.

“What’d the brat do now?” the woman demands.

I raise an eyebrow. “Just let me talk to him. Alone.”

The woman moves inside, and the man calls over his shoulder, “Sebastiano! It’s for you, you rotten brat!”

He moves inside. Sebastiano appears in the doorway, tall and intimidating as hell—so much so he puts Sebastian to shame. And Sebastian’s a _lawyer_.

He raises an eyebrow. “Wha’d’you want, brat?”

I keep myself from cringing. “I need to talk to you. Alone.”

He grabs me by my collar and drags me inside, up the hall, and into a dark and messy room. Blood is splattered around the walls.

He shuts the door. “What. Do. You. _Want?_ ”

I adjust my collar, dropping my eyes to my feet. “I met your brothers.”

“What, those fucking brats asked you to harass me?”

I look up, surprised. “No. I just...Flavio sounded sad when he mentioned you. They don’t really seem to care about anyone else.”

I take a step back, dropping my eyes. “My brothers and I were put in a similar situation a couple years ago. My oldest brother—he’s twenty-six—is bi, and my older brother is gay. I...I know what they’re going through. And it hurts to see other people in pain. Especially after all the times I’ve pulled my older brother off the ledges of bridges. Luciano was already about to jump when I first met him. Flavio pulled him back over the railing.”

“Are you trying to guilt-trip me?” he demands. “They got what they deserved.”

I swallow, blinking back tears. “No, they didn’t. They’re kind. They’re scared. It doesn’t change who you are, it’s...it’s just another part of who you are. Some people like football, some people like basketball. It’s like that. It doesn’t change who they are. They never stopped being your little brothers because they told you they’re different. Believe me, I...our family kicked us out for the same reason.”

His voice finally softens a little. “Are you...crying?”

I fidget. “No.”

My voice breaks and he sees right through me. “Are...you....are you alright?”

I find a spot on the bed that’s no covered in bloodied weapons and sink down, burying my face in my hands. “One of our cousins raped us when he found out. Him and ten others. Him and his mom got us kicked out. And ever since my big brother—my precious big brother—has been trying to find ways to kill himself. He’s been cutting and he’s been crying and I...I don’t know how to make it better. It scares me. I...I don’t want to see another go through the same thing we did, and now...Luciano’s getting suicidal. If he hasn’t already cut he’s probably going to. He reminds me of my big brother. And it hurts. I _have_ to do _something_ about it. I’ve been trying to get Lovi to listen to me and it’s not really making enough of a difference. Just in the time I spent talking to Luciano I could tell I made a difference. And it gives me hope that maybe Lovi’s not too far gone. Maybe I _can_ save him.”

Sebastiano pushes some of the weapons aside and sits down. “Lovi.”

I swallow. “Lovino Vargas.”

“I’ve heard of him.”

I glance at him. “Flavio says people keep talking about us.”

“What...what’s your name?”

“F-Feliciano Vargas.”

He sits up a little. “I’ve heard about you.”

“I know.” I look away. “I wouldn’t’ve come back. But my friend wants to meet my family.”

“Friend or boyfriend?”

I flinch. “I-if I s-said b-boyfriend, w-would y-you h-hurt me?”

He gives me a look that’s so hurt and surprised it hurts me. “What?”

I can’t stop myself; I start crying again. “A-after V-Valentino, I...I’m scared. E-everyone I t-talk to...I f-feel like I’m just gonna get hurt again.”

He slides an arm around me and pulls me up into his lap, cradling me against his chest. “I could never hurt you.”

I curl into a little ball, burying my face in my knees to hide the tears. “I-I’m s-sorry,” I say shakily, “I-I’ve been t-told I-I’m t-too w-weak b-before.”

He tightens his grip. “You’re not weak, Feli...you’re human.”

I start crying harder. _So he’s not as bad as they think._

He plants a gentle kiss on the top of my head, then says softly, “Mom and Dad said if I sided with them they wouldn’t just kick me out, they’d kill me with one of my weapons.”

I curl into a tighter ball. He rubs my arm reassuringly. “I...I can try to get out,” he says quietly. “But I’d need some kind of cover. Do...do you think you can talk to them while I sneak out?”

I look up, surprised. “I-I can t-try.”


	3. Escape (Sebastiano's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastiano makes a break for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sebastiano's POV (2P Seborga).

I slip out the door, stashing my stuff in a nearby alleyway and returning to my room as if nothing happened—which is Feliciano’s clue.

Mom and Dad cross their arms and watch him go, matching scowls in place.

“What did he want?” Dad asks.

“Apparently Lucca tried to kill himself,” I shrug. “I told him he’s not one of us.”

Mum laughs. “Serves him right.”

I nod. They slip off into the kitchen, which gives me my chance to flee.

I close the door softly behind me, grabbing my stuff and moving it across the city from them before setting my stuff down and sinking down next to it, breathing slowly.

_It’s gonna be a long night._


	4. Free (Feli's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feli updates Flavio & Luciano that their big brother Sebastiano has escaped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feli's POV. Feli offers to help. :)

I finally spot Lucca and Flavio, chatting by the river again. I make my way up, stopping a few steps out of reach. “Hey.”

My voice trembles a little; I didn’t expect their parents to be _that_ homicidal.

Flavio turns and looks me over several times. “Are you alright?”

I shift uneasily. “For now. They might come after me, though.”

“What? Why?”

I look away. “They said they’d kill Sebastiano if he took your side. So I helped him get out. He’s on the street now, too, but it’s better than living in a constant state of fear.”

“Th-they said they’d _kill_ him?” Luciano asks nervously.

I nod. Flavio shivers a little. “That worries me. They might expect him to run and go after him then.”

I gesture in the direction he ran. “He went that way. He probably tried to get across town. I would if I were him. Your parents are scary.”

“I warned you,” Flavio shrugs.

I glance at him. “I don’t regret it. But still.”

Lucca hugs me briefly. “Thank you.”

I nod once. “Of course.”

There’s a moment’s silence. Flavio almost smiles at me. “Y-you should probably go. Before you get any deeper in this.”

I shift a little. “I’m probably gonna have to get deeper in this...but I do need to sleep some more. If they come after you, I’m taking you home with us.”

Luciano blushes. “W-we couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“My boyfriend’s dad is a doctor,” I shrug. “We’ve got more than enough money. And I’m offering. I never said you asked. ...You remind me of Lovi.”

“Mom and Dad might call kidnapping on it to get Seb back,” Flavio points out.

“Once we’re there it won’t matter,” I insist. “Because my oldest brother is a lawyer. He can bring charges of abuse and neglect and threatening a minor down on them and land them in prison. We’d just need an hour to get the case together and they’re screwed.”

“We might not have an hour,” Lucca says quietly, “but it’s worth a try.”


	5. Family & Forgiveness (Feli's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feli goes to visit his family with Ludwig around dinnertime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feli's POV. Maria & Valentino Vargas come into the story here.

I hesitate, tightening my grip on his hand, before I can finally bring myself to head up the driveway.

Ludwig squeezes my hand reassuringly. “We can do this,” he says quietly. “I’ll be here every step of the way. Yeah?”

I nod once. “I just...there’s things I haven’t even told Sebastian about these people. About Valentino and his mother Maria. I’m scared. But then I’m not. I don’t know. I’m just confused.”

“They won’t hurt you,” Ludwig says confidently. “Not so long as I’m here.”

I take a deep breath, lifting my hand and pausing a moment before bringing my hand forward to knock on the door. My hands tremble and my eyes refuse to stay up at the door, but I’m not running.

The door opens and I look up automatically. Aunt Maria stands before me, pupils way too dilated. She’s high—way too high.

I take a deep breath. “Hi.”

“Feliciano,” she greets me coldly.

I take a tiny step forward. “My friend wanted to meet everyone.”

Ludwig stands tall as her eyes move onto him. “Friend? Or _boy_ friend?”

I set my jaw. “Doesn’t matter. Just get out of the way.”

I push past her before she can shut the door. Ludwig follows my lead into the house, sticking close to my side.

“Hey,” Maria calls angrily. “Get out.”

I take a deep breath and turn to glare at her. “No. Either you get out or you deal with it. Because I’m not leaving. Not yet.”

She slams the door just as Mom’s voice calls, “Dinner!”

I jump a little, my eyes turning that way. “Mom,” I breathe.

I glance at Ludwig. He seems to be following my lead, so I wait until everyone’s in the dining room to slide in shyly.

I’m met immediately with the sneers of disapproval I expected; Aunt Maria, Valentino, and their friends. However I don’t let that discourage me, instead I move in and back up against the wall.

Mom looks up, and the first set of friendly eyes clash with mine. She almost leaps to her feet with surprise. “Feliciano!”

I let a small smile tug on my lips for just a moment. “Hey, mom.”

Dad looks up, too. “Son.”

“Hey, Dad,” I greet him softly.

I pull Ludwig a little closer. “Um, this is my friend Ludwig. He wanted to meet everyone.”

Ludwig inclines his head. “Hallo.”

Mom smiles. “Hello. I’m his mother.”

Ludwig almost smiles. Dad greets him similarly. After a grumpy silence, everyone introduces themselves based on their relation to me—cousin Valentino, Aunt Maria, Uncle Antonello, and so forth.

Finally it’s done. I turn my eyes to Ludwig questioningly.

Ludwig just shrugs. Aunt Maria is bitter again, and she says, “Well, shoo. Take your goddamn boyfriend and get out of our sight.”

I wince. Valentino seems to share a similar sentiment, and his eyes give me a strange once-over that’s similar to how he looked at me before he did....that thing. I shiver a little.

Mom straightens. “There’s no need to be unkind.”

“He’s _dating a boy_ ,” Aunt Maria points out.

“So?” Mom demands. “That doesn’t make him any less of a person or a member of our family.”

“ _Dear_ sister,” Dad says stiffly, “either cut the crap and let it slide, or get the hell out of my house. I pay the bills, so either get your shit and your kids and get out of our sight, or deal with his presence. He’s our son, and we’re not going to let you speak to him like that.”

Aunt Maria vaults to her feet and storms off. Valentino and another young boy get up and chase after her.

Everyone shifts to open up to seats side-by-side, and Mom gestures that way. “Please, join us.”

“I-I couldn’t possibly,” I stammer.

“Please,” Mom insists gently. “For old time’s sake, if nothing else.”

I glance uncertainly at Ludwig. He tilts his head a little. “I don’t see why not,” he says quietly.

I hesitate again before dropping my eyes and edging around the table to take the vacated seats.


	6. Sons (Jemma's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mom & Dad discuss a little something. Then Feliciano shows up and they talk to him. ((Some of the dark backstory comes up here...))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jemma's POV. (Jemma Vargas is the 1P Italian brothers' mother, and Lucca Vargas is their father.) Mentions of rape & cutting & suicidal stuff (mainly with Lovi).

“Now that we know where he went,” I explain, “we could go join them. Leave these bastards to flounder for themselves. They _are_ still our sons.”

Lucca smiles at me, laughing a little. “We could, I suppose. But we don’t know if they _want_ us.”

“You heard Feliciano,” I shrug. “You saw the way he settled right back in. He misses this. He misses us. Even _if_ no one else does.”

Feliciano pokes his head around the corner, glances around as if he expects a monster to leap at him, then slips up the hall to my side. “I-I’m sorry,” he says quietly, “I...”

He glances back up the hall again. “I miss this. But I can’t stay around Valentino.”

I raise an eyebrow at Lucca. _See?_

I turn to face Feliciano, laying a hand on his shoulder. “For one, it sounds like his mother and him are leaving. And for two, why not? What’s bothering you?”

“He...” Feliciano blinks a few times, coughs, then drops his eyes. “It’s hard to explain. His mother didn’t believe me when I told her—it’s part of why she got us kicked to the streets. Why we left.”

“Son,” I insist gently, “please.”

Feliciano starts to cry. “He rounded up ten girls and with him and them, they...”

He takes a deep breath. “They raped Lovi. And then he took ten guys and did the same thing to me. I-I’m scared of him, I can’t...he gave me that same look he did before he did that to me earlier today. I can’t...I don’t want to go through that again. Lovi’s gotten suicidal and started cutting and I...”

His cries turn to muffled sobs. “I don’t want to lose my big brother. I don’t want to lose myself.”

His voice breaks. Lucca moves forward and lays a hand on Feliciano’s other shoulder.

“Feliciano,” he says quietly, “I was already planning on kicking them out for going on a few weeks now. They’re a mess. His mother’s doing more drugs and more drugs. He’s been getting into the drugs and the alcohol. Give them a taste of their own damn medicine and kick ’em to the streets. _Especially_ with what they did to you boys.”

Feliciano throws himself into my arms, melting into a puddle of tears against me. I hold him tightly, hoping this might help him calm down.

It takes several minutes before Feliciano finally calms, and even then I can see his hands trembling.

Lucca ruffles his hair. “Look, we’ll kick ’em out, okay? You go get your stuff. You’re staying here, with us, until you leave.”

“W-we were planning on leaving tomorrow afternoon,” Feliciano says quietly.

“And until then, you have a home,” I agree quietly. “I don’t care if you’re dating that boy, he’s a sweetheart. They didn’t tell us where you went or we would’ve followed.”

Feliciano strains a smile and nods. “O-okay.”


	7. Stay (Feli's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feli isn't too surprised his parents asked them to move in for the night. Ludwig is a bit surprised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feli's POV. Short.

“I’m a little surprised,” Ludwig says, zipping up the bag.

“I’m not,” I tell him. “They _are_ still my parents. Protective instinct is strong, no matter what happens. You could tell when they asked us to stick around for dinner and chat that they missed us.”

Ludwig raises an eyebrow but nods. “True.”

I take his right hand in my left and scoop up my bag in my right. Then we begin to walk. _This is gonna be one hell of a long day._


	8. Kicking Out The Druggies (Lucca's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Father Lucca kicks Valentino & Maria out. They gladly go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucca's POV (1P brothers' father.)

She zips up her bag angrily. “I’m leaving.”

“Good,” I say calmly. “You and your damn son have been causing enough trouble and getting into enough drugs and alcohol I was planning on kicking you out anyway. But don’t come back. I pay for this house, and I _will_ put a restraining order against you and your damn son.”

She scowls. Valentino drags his bags past the room. “We’re outta here, right?”

She nods at him. “Yes. Make sure you have everything that belongs to you.”

Valentino nods. “Done.”

Maria turns to glare at me. “Some brother you are.”

I raise an eyebrow. “It’s not my fault you cause trouble. Now get out.”

She grabs her bag and follows her son out the door, slamming it behind them.

_And it’s over. For now, the nightmare is over. And for a few hours, we have our son back—at least, one of them. I can’t wait to see Lovino and Sebastian again._


	9. Time To Escape (Feli's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get into the airplane and watch Italy fall away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feli's POV. Short-ish.

Mom and Dad both got one-way tickets to join us this morning. And I talked to them about Luciano and his brothers, and they agreed to pay their way too! I told them, and they got all embarrassed but they came and joined us in the house for the last couple hours.

Finally we walk through security. Sebastiano shipped his stuff on the ‘ _black-market_ ’ line so he could bring his knives, so him and his brothers don’t have any stuff with them.

We all hand our tickets in. Mom and Dad even managed to get us all in the same part of the plane.

The ticket person nods and points towards the plane. We walk inside and make our way to our seats, sitting down. Luciano sits next to me, Ludwig on my other side. On his other side sits Sebastiano. Across the aisle in the window seats sits Mom and Dad. On Luciano’s other side sits Flavio.

They make the announcements and we all buckle in. The doors close and we begin to roll away from the airport. _It’s too late for Sebastiano’s parents to get to him now._

We lift off, and after awhile we level out and the seatbelt light goes off. Sebastiano, Flavio, and Luciano have all fallen asleep by then—I’m guessing they didn’t sleep too well last night.

I watch Italy fall away from us, relief coursing through my veins. _Free. Free at last._


	10. Bigger House (Feli's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feli texts Lovi & Seb. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feli's POV. Fluff. Some texting stuffs. :) Short. ((Some cursing but with these guys what do you expect))

I unpack my stuff and stash it all away. Luciano and his brothers do the same with their rooms, and Mom and Dad with their room. Mom and Dad bought a bigger house in our school district, keeping us in the same school but making room for Lucca and his brothers as well as Mom, Dad, and us.

“ _I’m home. Brought Mom and Dad with me._ ” Send. Now Lovi and Seb will know.

“ _Holy shit where the hell are you guys_ ”

I laugh at Sebastian’s hurried typing and give him the address. “ _Bring your stuff. We’re moving in so we have room for a few kids we’re protecting from abusive parents—ahem, we might need your help on that one—and Mom, Dad, and all us. Love you._ ” Smile. Send.


	11. New House (Lovi's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toni wants to meet Lovi's parents. Lovi says he hasn't seen them in 3 years, but "sure".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovi's POV. Prussia, Spain, and South Italy enter.

“Oh, oh, oh, can we meet them?” Toni asks excitedly.

I hesitate. “Uh, I guess. I haven’t seen them in three years, but...sure.”

Toni grins. “Awesome!”

Gil laughs. “Chill out, man. He hasn’t seen them in three years.”

I adjust the bag strap on my shoulder and move towards the new house, walking slowly up the driveway. I wasn’t expecting to ever see my parents again, let alone this soon.


	12. New Brothers (Lovi's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lovi greets his returned brother Feli.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovi's POV. Brotherly love. :)
> 
> Also Lovi teasing Toni a bit.... XD

I drop my bag before slipping from my room and pulling Feli into a hug. “Hey, Feli.”

Feli hugs me tightly back. “Hey, Lovi.”

After a pause, he says quietly, “I talked about you a lot.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Good or bad?”

“Bit of both. I...I told Mom and Dad about Valentino. Also we have a few new brothers. Flavio—he’s your age—and his little brother Luciano, who’s my age, and their older brother Sebastiano, who’s eighteen. Their family’s pretty scary so we got them out.”

“Okay.”

He pulls back and kisses my cheek. “I missed you. I think that’s part of why you kept coming up every chance I got. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I love you, Lovi.”

A weak half-smile tugs on my lips. “I missed you, too. I love you, Feli.”

He pulls away and I let him go. He hesitates and smiles. “Mom and Dad are making dinner.”

I almost smile. “Okay.”

I make my way back up the hall. Toni moves up to my side. “So...?”

I elbow him, but it’s not hard. “Follow me, you impatient ass.”


	13. Mom & Dad (Lovi's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lovi introduces his friends to his parents, and then meets the shy Lucca & nervous Flavio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to see a little more of Lovi! Lovi's POV.
> 
> Lovi's being exceptionally adorable and such a big brother here, especially with Lucca & Flavio. :)

The moment I enter the kitchen I’m tackled into a hug by Dad. “Lovino!”

I wrap my arms lightly around him, closing my eyes. “Hey, Dad.”

Mom attacks me similarly, covering me in kisses. “Oh, we missed you boys.”

I drop my eyes to the floor. “I missed you, too.”

After a short pause, I lift a hand and wave them in. “I, um, these are my friends.”

Gil inclines his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mister and Misses Vargas.”

Mom and Dad giggle. Toni is less formal, instead dropping his eyes respectfully and saying in a cute, shy little voice, “Hello.”

Mom and Dad laugh again. I reach out and ruffle Toni’s hair in a half-hearted attempt to calm his nerves. “This is Toni. He’s from Spain.”

Mom nods. “I’m Jemma and this is Lucca.”

Toni nods once to show he heard.

“Shy little shit,” I mutter, elbowing him.

I gesture to Gil. “That’s Gil. He’s from Germany and he’s older brother to Feli’s boyfriend Ludwig.”

Gil blushes and smiles. “Hallo.”

Mom and Dad exchange a glance, and Dad smiles. “Nice to meet you.”

I reach out and take Toni’s hand, squeezing it in an attempt to get him to stop being so shy. It’s enough to distract him, and he looks up to give me a fond smile.

I smile back, and just that exchange is enough for him to relax a little.

I return my gaze to Mom. “Toni’s not usually so shy, sorry. He tends to be the louder of the two at times.”

Mom laughs. “It’s alright.”

Toni fidgets a little and mutters something under his breath, but I don’t catch what he says.

There’s a pause, and Mom says, “Um, your new brothers are in their rooms if you want to say hello.”

I hesitate. “Okay.”

We slip from the room and I try to muffle my laughter. “Why are you suddenly so shy?”

Toni blushes and looks away. “As if I’d tell you.”

Gil blinks and begins to laugh. “Oh my god, Toni.”

Toni’s blush deepens. “Shut up.”

Gil giggles. “I think he’s trying to impress your parents for a certain reason.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Whatever.”

A young boy around Feli’s age with dark hair, shining red eyes like Gil’s, and dark clothes and black gloves edges up the hall to peek around the corner. I’m guessing this is Luciano.

I slide around my friends and make my way over. “Hi.”

“Uh, hi,” he says shyly. “I’m Luciano.”

I smile a little. “I’m Lovino.”

He ducks his head. “I heard a lot about you. Feli said I reminded him of you.”

I reach out a hand, but don’t touch him. Luciano looks up, greeting me with wide, innocent eyes.

I gently lay a hand on his wrist. As I expected, scars criss-cross the skin there. “I can see why.”

He winces. “I-I’m sorry, I—”

“You don’t have to explain,” I hush him. “It’s okay.”

I lower my voice. “I do that, too. It’s fine. I get it, trust me.”

He blushes and almost smiles. “Your brother’s been very nice to us. ...More so than we deserve.”

“Hey,” I protest gently, pulling him against me in a gentle hug, “don’t say that.”

He’s tense and his head remains bowed, but he sort of hugs me back. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes again.

I reach up and kiss his cheek. He’s a little cold, but not enough to worry me. “Don’t apologize. You just need to realize that you _do_ matter.”

He blushes scarlet. “I don’t—”

I raise a hand and he immediately stops, flinching back. “Please,” I insist softly.

He blinks, taken aback. “I-I’m used to my parents,” he says quietly. “E-especially after Flavee and I...they never stopped hitting us. Especially me. They told us we were going to Hell.”

“They’re going to Hell for abusing you,” I tell him firmly. “And you’re going to Heaven. And there’s nothing they can do about it.”

He sort of laughs, but it’s choked and awkward. “A-after everything—”

“Lucca,” I say gently, “after everything you’ve been through, _this_ is your second chance. A chance to be yourself, and not care what they think. You’ll find someone. I did. I’ve got friends. And Italy was hardest on me. Believe me, just give yourself a chance. You won’t regret it.”

He hesitates, and then nods. “O-okay.”

He ducks his head and slips back up the hall.

A boy closer to my height, with bright blonde hair that’s sort of red at the roots and bright white, god-awful fashion adorning himself comes shyly up the hall. It looks to me like he tried a little too hard to forget his parents.

The boy stops several steps out of reach. “U-um, hi, I’m Flavio.”

I take a small step closer. “Uh, I’m Lovino.”

He blinks a little and almost looks up, then ducks his head. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I reach a hand out in offering. After some hesitation, he moves a few steps forward and lets my hand touch his shoulder.

I take another small step forward. “Feli told me about you.”

He shifts uneasily, looking away only to have his eyes stray back to me.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, I pull him to me, treating him just how I would Feli if he was acting like this. He’s like a little brother to me, no matter his age. Age is just a number, it’s what you do with the time that matters.

He’s startled, but he does hug me back. He tucks his face in the crook of my shoulder, releasing a slow breath. I only tighten my grip, massaging little circles with my fingers and whispering, “You’re one of us now...fratello.”

He relaxes a little, tightening his grip. I wait several minutes before letting go, and he lets go just as I do.

He drops his hands shyly to his sides. I smile at him, and finally he smiles back.

He turns and slides up the hall, vanishing into one of the rooms. I hesitate a moment before making my way up to the only door that hasn’t yet opened.


	14. Sebastiano (Lovi's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lovi meets Sebastiano. :) *FLUFF*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovi's POV.

I take a deep breath and knock gently on the door. It swings slightly open and I catch a glimpse of a stash of weapons before it shuts behind him.

I backpedal a few steps and drop my eyes. He’s wearing dark blue, and he’s even more intimidating than Seb--which is a remarkable feat.

After a short silence, he takes a little step forward. “Um, hi. I’m Sebastiano.”

“Uh, I’m Lovino,” I answer quietly.

Comprehension dawns on his face. “Ah. Feli told us a lot about you.”

I shift uneasily. He reaches out and lays a hand on my arm, pulling me a few steps closer so he can lower his voice. “He also compared you to Lucca...and he’s been cutting.”

I squeak, my muscles locking up in a strange kind of fear. He smiles, and it softens the intimidating look.

I shake myself a little. “My friends have been turning me away from that. I haven’t...not in awhile.”

He pulls me against him, rubbing little circles on my back and saying softly, “The fact that you've done it at a means there’s room for improvement, fratellino.”

_ He just pulled a big brother on me!  _ Shit, now I have  _ two _ older brothers!

...Well, I do get two  _ more _ little brothers now. I guess...I guess that’s okay.

I wrap my arms lightly around him, burying my face in his chest like I would were he Sebastian. He kisses my forehead and lets go, cupping my cheek in his hand and smiling a little. “Maybe you already have a big brother,” he says. “But now you have two. And I’d protect you with my life.”

I almost smile at him. “I’m...kinda hoping it never gets that far.”

He laughs. “Yeah, I know.”

He ruffles my hair and slips back into his room. I watch him go, frozen in conflicted surprise. I get the impression he’s more likely to murder than let himself get killed, and I’m not sure if I’m more surprised, alarmed, or touched. Maybe a combination of all three.


	15. Caught Off-Guard (Toni's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil and Lovi catch Toni staring. **wink wink nudge nudge SPAMANO**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toni's POV.
> 
> I GAVE MYSELF A FEELS ATTACK WITH THIS...A GOOD ONE. Enjoy! XD

Lovi seems frozen in place for awhile before he finally moves again.

Lovi turns back towards us, shakes his head a little, and comes back up the hall. My breath keeps catching in my throat, and all I can think is _My god, he’s beautiful._

Gil nudges me, muttering, “Dude, you’re staring.”

I drop my eyes again. “Sorry.”

Gil laughs. “It’s kinda funny.”

I shoot a glare at him. “Shut up.”

Gil grins. “Sure.”

Lovi shakes himself again. “Okay, that was a little weird. Apparently I have two big brothers now. He just pulled a fucking big brother on me.”

Gil laughs. “That’s hilarious.”

Lovi raises an eyebrow. “If you say so.”

That’s the least he’s ever argued. Gil and I exchange a glance over it.

Lovi crosses his arms. “What?”

“You normally argue more than that,” Gil points out.

Lovi blinks a little and glances back up the hall. “Uh...I’m a little out of my element at the moment or I probably would. I mean, Seb rarely _actually_ pulls a big brother on me. And when he does, it’s always over something really serious. He just...I don’t know. He’s different.”

_God, he’s so beautiful._

I avert my eyes, shifting uneasily and hoping he doesn’t notice I keep staring. I’ve never seen him wear a tux before, and now he stands before me in one, his hands in his pants pockets, and I’m tripping over myself. I might as well try and stick my whole foot in my mouth. I can’t even begin to comprehend how fucking _amazing_ he is.

Lovi reaches out, his fingers brushing my shoulder. “Are you okay, Toni? You’re awfully quiet.”

I look up, surprised. “I-I’m fine.”

“...You don’t normally stutter, either,” he points out.

I drop my eyes again. “Sorry. I’m...a little distracted.”

Lovi raises an eyebrow. “By what?”

I gesture vaguely at him. “I’ve never seen you in that before.”

Lovi bursts out laughing, but a faint blush turns his cheeks glowing pink. “What, in a tux?”

I nod meekly. Gil blinks a few times and begins to laugh.

“What, does it bother you?” Lovi asks.

I cough a little. “No, no, God no.”

I tear my eyes away from him again. Gil laughs harder. “I think he’s actually admiring you,” he says.

I elbow him, hard. “Shut up!”

Lovi nearly doubles over in laughter, covering his face with his hands. He laughs for so long I begin to wonder if that bothers him. But finally he looks up, and it seems quite to the contrary; Lovi’s _blushing_.

I make myself look away again. _Why the fuck is he so fucking beautiful shit oh my god..._ I cough a few times, biting my lip nearly hard enough to make the skin tear open and leak blood.

“Are you actually...?” Lovi asks quietly.

I bury my face in my hands, too embarrassed to answer. But that seems to be answer enough; Lovi bursts out laughing again and giggles, “Oh my god.”

“I’ll fucking kill you,” I grumble, smacking at Gil again.

Gil laughs. “It’s your fault for being so obvious about it.”

I smack him as hard as I can. It’s hard enough his arm turns bright red and he actually says “ow”.

Lovi’s mom pokes her head out of the kitchen. “Lovino, are your friends sticking around for dinner?”

Lovi coughs a few times and looks up, still giggling. “I, uh...do you want to stay?” he asks, shifting his eyes back to us.

Gil shrugs. “I’d love to, but I should probably eat at home. Dad wouldn’t like it too much.”

It’s quiet, but a little squeak escapes my mouth. I can’t be alone with him, not after that.

 _It’s not alone,_ the tiny voice in my head reasons. _His brothers will be there, and his parents._

 _Alone enough he’s gonna be giggling and staring at you,_ I argue with myself.

I’m too busy laughing now to answer the question. Lovi blushes even harder and looks away. “Uh, Mom, could you give us a minute? Gil just embarrassed the hell outta Toni.”

His mother laughs. “Alright, sweetie.”

She disappears back into the kitchen. Gil laughs again, ruffling Lovi’s hair. “Uh, tell your parents I said hi but I should probably go. _Before_ Toni kills me.”

I swat half-heartedly at him. He dodges and slips out the door.

Lovi coughs a few times. “Uh, are you okay?”

I try a few times to catch my breath before I can stop laughing. “I don’t know.”

Lovi closes a gentle hand on my arm. “I’ve never seen you in a tux, either,” he points out.

I cringe a little. “I’m sorry, I just...fuck, you look so damn attractive in that.”

Lovi’s blush, if possible, deepens even more. “Maybe I should wear a tux more often if I’m gonna get a reaction like _that_ ,” he giggles.

I cough a few times, trying to calm down. It still takes me several minutes to manage to look up at him, and even then I can’t make eye contact. “I’m sorry, I’m bi and I’m having a mini breakdown.”

Lovi giggles. “Uh, I’m a thousand percent gay. It’s fine. It’s actually kinda funny. I’ve never seen you actually blushing before. ...It’s cute.”

I can’t help it; I grin. But I still can’t make eye contact. “I don’t usually _get_ flustered,” I protest.

Lovi laughs. “Seriously, man, it’s fine. Calm the fuck down.”

I finally manage to compose myself, but my cheeks are still burning. But I can tell by Lovi’s blush he notices the way my eyes look him over again before I can make eye contact.

Lovi smiles shyly. I take a quiet, deep breath in an attempt to regain some more of my composure. The heat finally goes away, and I can look at him without immediately looking away again.

“I swear to God I’m gonna kill him...”

Lovi bursts out laughing again. “Hey, he’s my friend too.”

He nudges me playfully. “I’m still gonna kick his ass, but I gotta make sure you’re okay first.”

I grin again, ducking my head. “I-I’m fine, I’m just...that’s never really happened before.”

“Ever?” he asks shyly.

I shake my head. “I don’t tend to _get_ flustered. Like, ever. I mean, sure, I can appreciate beauty where I see it and I’ve told people they’re fucking hot before—but it’s not the same when it’s your best friend.”

Lovi grins. “Considering most people tell me I’m just another fucking asshole, I’ll take a compliment where I can find it. Jackass.”

I bite my lip to hold back another bout of laughter. “I’d kick their asses if I caught them at it.”

“I know you would,” he agrees fondly.

I shake myself a little, pulling my phone out. “ _Hey, Dad, is it okay if I have dinner with Lovi and his family tonight?_ ”

“ _I’m gonna be working late tonight, kiddo. Go ahead._ ”

I hesitate a moment, debating, before pocketing my phone. “Dad’s working late tonight.”

“Then we’re kidnapping you,” Lovi says with such confidence I begin to laugh again.

“What?” he demands.

“It’s not really kidnapping if the ‘ _kidnapped_ ’ person is willing,” I giggle.

Lovi rolls his eyes. “Oh, shut up. Mom!”

She pokes her head back out. Lovi grins at her. “We’re kidnapping Toni. His dad’s gonna be working late. We’re not gonna leave him to fend for himself.”

She giggles. “Alright, then.”

She vanishes back into the kitchen. Lovi sneaks a look at me, that fondness still shining in his eyes.

I clear my throat, shifting my eyes away again. Lovi reaches out and lays a hand on my arm, drawing my eyes back. “Hey, don’t look away.”

I stifle a laugh. “I’m trying not to stare.”

Lovi grins. “I don’t mind.”

My eyes rove him over a few times. _God, he so fucking hot how the flying fuck....??_

Lovi fidgets a little, but his smile remains in place. I half-expect him to look away, but instead he just blushes and hides his nerves behind a little laugh.


	16. Holy Shit (Lovi's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lovi goes to school on Monday and Toni shows up in a tux... *sinister laughter*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovi's POV.
> 
> Lovi has a bit of a mental breakdown...so LOTS of cussing. Also some random curses Lovi just came up with on the spot because he's so flustered English is hard... (i.e. "Jesus Christ fucking Mary on a unicorn")

Gil grins. “Hey, Lovi. What’s with the smile, eh?”

I shrug. “I convinced Toni to wear a tux to school. Just for the day. He stared at me all fucking day, it’s only fair.”

Gil laughs. “Okay. Did you tell him off?”

“No.” At his raised eyebrow, I add, “I didn’t. I told him it was fine. I’m gay and he’s my best friend, I don’t care. Still, it’s only fair.”

Gil laughs. “ _ Sure _ ,” he says sarcastically. “And it’s not just cause you like him.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Actually I did say if he can pull of lazy fuckboy clothes he’d be killer in a tux. That might’ve been incentive enough.”

Gil looks up, and then after a moment’s silence his eyes widen and his jaw drops open. And he starts nudging me. “Oh my god. Look. Fuck, I don’t even like him that way and he’s drop-dead gorgeous.”

I follow his gaze. Toni actually seems to have combed his hair this morning, it’s fluffy and soft. And from the shoulders down...I can’t keep myself from whistling, impressed. He’s fucking  _ gorgeous. _

“Holy shit,” I say blankly.

Gil laughs. “Hey, you got your wish.”

Girls seem to be fainting around him as he makes his way up the hall, and a few guys are staring, too. A few people even stop kissing just to get a good look.

Toni leans against the lockers in front of us, a small smirk on his face. “You were saying?”

I can’t breathe.  _ Fuck _ I can’t breathe. Holy fucking shit. Oh my god. He’s so fucking hot.

Gil chokes and coughs a few times. “Uh, uh, man, fuck, you’re gorgeous. I don’t even like you like that and I still... _ damn _ . Maybe you should wear that more often.”

Toni nudges me. “Lovi?”

I shake myself a little. “Uh...”

Toni giggles. “What?”

I blink a few times and tear my eyes away, dropping my eyes to my shoes. “Jesus Christ fucking Mary on a unicorn,” I mutter under my breath.

Gil bursts out laughing. “I heard that.”

Toni glances at him. “What?”

Gil laughs harder. “Uh, he said ‘ _ Jesus Christ fucking Mary on a unicorn _ ’. I think that counts as impressed?”

Toni chokes a little. “What?”

“Don’t make fun of my cursing,” I mutter, elbowing Gil. “I can’t think straight.”

Gil only laughs harder. “It’s impossible not to. Wait, wait, so Jesus having sex with his mother... _ on a unicorn _ ? How the fucking hell?”

I smack him impulsively. He yelps, shaking his hand. “Ow!”

“I said don’t.”

I cough a few times, my eyes straying back to Toni.  _ Holy fucking mother of god. Someone pinch me. Fucking hell. Someone please tap that ass so I don’t have to make that comment. _

A band of girls runs by and one of them literally smacks his ass in passing. He jumps a little and flushes scarlet, then begins to laugh a little. “Lovi, you okay?”

I peel my eyes away again. “I’m f-fine.”

“You’re stuttering,” he says, echoing my earlier sentiment.

“What do you want to hear?” I demand, lifting my eyes quickly to his to keep myself from staring. “You’re fucking  _ hot _ , Jesus Christ, Toni. How fucking often do you think  _ I’m _ attracted to anyone? Fuck the hell off.”

I turn around, burying my face in my hands to muffle a groan. Gil is still doubled over in breathless, teary laughter. Girls continue to fall all over Toni. But I can’t bring myself to look up.

The bell rings, jarring us out of our moment. Toni reaches out and taps me once on the shoulder, then pulls his hand back. “Lovi?”

I whirl around. Toni flinches a little, eyes wide.

“Somebody shoot me dead,” I mutter under my breath, whirling back around and slipping up the hall towards class.  _ This is gonna be one hell of a long day. _


	17. Hot Mess Is Mine (Lovi's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lovi finally explodes (at lunch). Gil and Francis can't stop laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovi's POV. FLUFF. Cussing but it's Lovi so that's just what he does. :)

The girls flood our table the moment he sits down, all offering Toni their numbers. For the first little bit, I put up with it. But finally, after the third round of girls show up, I’m done.

I whirl around up to my feet. “Oi!”

The girls stop, eyes wide. I gesture towards Toni. “Hot mess is _mine_. Back the fuck off.”

The girls’ jaws drop. I take a threatening step forward and they rush off.

Luciano comes darting across the room, stiff and shaky. “Hey, hey, are you okay?”

“I don’t fucking know,” I groan, dropping my head on his shoulder.

After a moment, I mutter, “He actually listened to me and _fuck_ he’s fucking hot but goddamn all these stupid fucking girls are falling over him.”

Luciano laughs a little, ruffling my hair and muttering back, “It’ll be okay. Watch, he’ll brush most of ’em off. He’s already got his eyes set on you. I mean, come on, didn’t you notice him staring?”

I release a slow breath. “Doesn’t stop it from pissing me off.”

“Hey, you claimed him already,” Luciano insists gently, trying not to laugh. “I doubt they’re gonna want to come back after that.”

He lets go and slips back across the room. I flop down, trying to ignore the choked laughter of Gil and Francis.

Toni shoots me a half-smile. “That’s one way to do it. I’m just too flustered to tell them off. I’ve already got my eyes set on someone.”

I glance at him. He blushes. “No, I won’t say who. I’d rather die.”

“You’re not allowed to die,” I tell him confidently.

Toni blinks and begins to laugh. Gil continues to laugh. “ _Hot mess!_ ”

I smack him. “Shut up. You may be my friend but I will _still_ stab you.”

Gil keeps laughing. “I don’t think you understand—I _can’t_ stop. I can hardly breathe.”

Francis howls with laughter, tears in his eyes. “ _Oh mon dieu, mon ami_ _._ You say the funniest things.”

I glare daggers at him. “I _will_ kill you. Gil may get a bit of a pass, but you don’t.”

Gil laughs harder. Toni ruffles my hair. “Chill out, Lovi, it’s okay.”

I tear my eyes away from him again. Toni giggles. “If I’m gonna get a reaction like _that_ ,” he echoes my earlier sentiment, “maybe I should do it more often.”

I duck my head to hide the blush spreading across my face. “Sorry.”

Toni laughs. “Don’t apologize….I like it.”

I elbow him. He giggles a little and ruffles my hair. Francis wisely stifles his giggles in his sleeve.

“Yours, is he?” Gil giggles incessantly.

I glare at him. “I said _shut up_ , bastardo.”

Toni glances at me. “Wait, wait, so if I’m yours….then are you mine?”

I flush such a bright red I can see the color out of the corner of my eyes. Gil laughs harder, and Francis says meekly, “He has a point, Lovi.”

“You don’t get to call me that,” I snap quickly, glaring defiantly at him.

Francis giggles. “Oh, is it _exclusive_ now?”

“Only my brothers and my _friends_ get to call me Lovi,” I tell him coldly. “Which means Toni and Gil, not you.”

Gil stops laughing out of pure surprise. “We’re friends?”

I nod. He smiles. “Awesome! Kesesesese!”

I wave a hand at him. “Don’t laugh like that. I don’t like it.”

He stops, but he’s still grinning. I drop my head on my arms, burying the growing blush in the dark cloth encasing my pale twig-like arms.

Toni gives me an awkward side-hug, rubs my shoulder a bit, and looks away. He’s still blushing a bit, and I can already feel myself falling way too hard for him. And it scares me.

_I guess I’ll just have to wait and see where this takes me._


	18. Lutz (Luciano's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luciano hangs out with Lutz for lunch. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luciano's POV. FLUFF.

I straighten my jacket and make my way across the room. I’ve had two classes with him already—and _damn._ He’s so tough and kind and smart and silly and cute and I just...agh. I’ve never felt this strongly about anyone so quickly.

He looks up as I pause by his empty table. “Hallo.”

He seems friendly enough, too. Cool.

I hesitate, asking shyly, “Uh, do you mind? I don’t know anyone else and I don’t want to bother my brothers.”

I gesture to the table. He sits up a little and pockets his phone. “Uh, sure, go ahead.”

I sink down, ducking my head shyly and hiding in my food. For now I have an excuse; I dread what might happen once I have none left.

Too soon, the food is gone. My eyes sneak a quick peak at him, and I notice he’s eating a completely green apple. _Green_ apple, not red with some green.

I blink. Lutz raises an eyebrow. “Problem?”

_Oh shit that’s hot and he noticed and fuck I can’t..._

I shake myself a little. “Uh...that’s green?”

Lutz scoffs, a confident smirk lifting the left corner of his mouth (on my right). I can already feel myself falling all over him, he’s just so _fucking perfect_.

Lutz takes a big bite out of the green apple, chewing slowly for awhile as if thinking. Then he swallows and the smirk returns. “Is that a problem? I like green.”

“Green apples are sour,” I point out. “Bitter.”

He laughs, a deep throat laugh _that_ _totally doesn’t turn me on._ “I like sour and bitter things. Sour candy’s the best. Maybe I’m just a bitter person, I dunno.”

I blink a few times and tear my eyes away from him, my eyes falling to my lap. _Hey, I’m sort of making conversation and it’s not totally killing me. That’s a start. That’s how you make friends, right?_

He reaches across the table with a large, strong hand and uses his calloused forefinger and thumb to tilt my chin up, an amused smirk dancing on his lips. “You usually look away so quickly?”

I sort of cringe, a tiny shiver running through me. No one’s ever touched me like that, and he seems well-aware of the effect judging by his crooked eyebrow.

“I-I-I,” I stammer, dropping my eyes instinctively from his commanding ones. Normally I’m far more confident, sassy, bitter, dominant. But this...I’ve never tried to make a friend before; not really. This is different. This is much different. I can shrug people off like nobody’s business, but actually being myself and just trying to make conversation is hard. Especially after Romulus and that whole fiasco.

His grip on my chin is very firm, but not enough to hurt. His bright amethyst-purple eyes command my attention, and the sort of amused-and-confident smirk on his lips involuntarily draws my eyes.

I don’t make eye contact for long; I didn’t really notice it until he pointed it out, but my eyes refuse to meet his for longer than a few seconds at a time. I can’t even look at him for more than a minute or so at a time. It’s strange. Normally I don’t have these problems. Maybe it’s just the disadvantage of trying to make friends when you’re as fucked up as I am.

I drop my eyes yet again. He snaps the fingers on his other hand once, almost like a command. “Hey.”

I twitch and look up again. He looks me over once, then finally lets go and sits back up on his side of the table. “You’re not gonna be able to make friends with people if you’re gonna be so shy,” he says.

I blink several times in rapid succession, my eyes flicking briefly away only to return to his. “I-I’m not...shy,” I protest.

“Uh-huh,” he says disbelievingly.

I duck my head to hide the blush. “Maybe I don’t usually talk to people. Doesn’t make me shy.”

He hums a little. “In your case, it does. Some people I’d agree with you. Antisocial is a thing. But...antisocial people make eye contact for longer than three seconds at a time.”

I twitch again, biting my lip self-consciously. “I usually do.”

“Uh-huh.”

I look up impulsively. “I do! I just don’t tend to talk to anyone. Ask my brothers, I’m not shy.”

He crosses his arms stubbornly. “Shyness has nothing to do with whether or not you talk to people. It’s the reason behind it. Whether it’s fear and apprehension, Social Anxiety Disorder—which is a thing, by the way—or simply not wanting to, there’s always a reason. And that reason dictates whether you’re just shy, antisocial, or if it’s a mental issue. And no, that’s not an insult. Some people genuinely fear talking to other people due to all the number of things that could go wrong.”

I chew on the inside of my lip, considering what he’s saying and turning the words over in my head. Maybe I do wonder about all the things that could go wrong, but it’s due to past wrongs and not just some kind of mental issue.

He nudges me. “You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

He laughs. “You’re chewing on your lip and avoiding eye contact.”

I remove my teeth from the inside of my lip. “I’m just thinking.”

He raises an eyebrow. I duck my head again. “Maybe I do overthink and worry about things that could go wrong. But that’s because I’ve been let down too many times.”

“Social Anxiety Disorder is usually caused by things like that,” he shrugs. “My brother has it. It’s possible to work with or around it. It’s just harder.”

I glance up at him only to avert my eyes again. He laughs a little and tosses the apple core— _he devoured that pretty fast_ —in the gray plastic trash bin.

He gets up and moves around to stand next to me, one large hand leaning on the table next to my arm, inches away from touching.

I instinctively pull away a little, glancing nervously at him. He raises an eyebrow, reaching out to poke the curl. “Is it usually like that?”

I squeak and fall back, away from the finger. It’s enough for him to laugh heartily.

I shake myself a little and sit back up, twitching a little. “Don’t touch that.”

He laughs a little, then leans in and blows gently on my ear. I squeak, instinctively moving my hands up to shield myself.

Lutz laughs again, ruffling my hair. “You’re cute,” he declares.

I make a little sound of protest. He chuckles. “It’s eurogenerous,” he explains. “Which means the curl is, too.”

I blink. He’s pretty observant. “Uh...”

A slow, mischievous smile spreads across his lips. “You know what that means?”

I shift a little. “Yes. My brothers and I all have it. It’s just sort of...there.”

He chuckles. “What happens if someone actually pulls on it?”

I shiver involuntarily. “My brothers and I sometimes get them tangled. It sucks. A lot.”

He rolls his eyes, grinning. “That’s an understatement.”

“I know.”

“You’re getting more confident,” he points out.

I smile shyly. “It’s easier when I _can_ look away, if I want to. I talk to my brothers, just no one else.”

He smirks again. “Easily scared?”

I blink and fidget. “Not usually. My older brother has a knife fetish. Not much can scare you when your own brother sometimes holds a knife to your neck for no reason other than he can. But usually I can at least look away if I _do_ get uncomfortable or scared, so it’s not a problem if I do.”

“Knife fetish?”

I laugh nervously. “Heh, yeah. It’s just a byproduct of how we grew up. Luckily we got out—thanks to Feli—but we were still there long enough for it to make its mark. Eighteen years for him, sixteen for Flavio, fourteen for me. Leaves you pretty fucked up.”

“Flavio?”

I duck my head. “Italy.”

“Hm. Germany.”

I glance up at him. He seems a little amused again. “Does it mean something?”

I nod. “Uh, Flavio actually means blonde-haired one. And he dyed his hair blonde, too, which is kinda funny. It’s normally a sort of brownish-red.”

“What’s your name, then?”

I look up, a little surprised. “Luciano.”

“That sounds cool,” he laughs. “What’s your older brother’s name?”

“Sebastiano.”

“What’s that mean?”

I shift a little. “Sebastiano means ‘ _revered one_ ’. He’s actually not, but...whatever.”

“What’s Luciano mean?”

I duck my head to hide the blush. “Luciano and Lucca both mean ‘ _light_ ’. They’re used pretty interchangeably.”

“Light,” he repeats softly. For a moment, I expect him to laugh. Then he says, “Hm, suits you.”

I blink and look up, holding back laughter. “Uh...”

He laughs again. “You’re so cute. Relax, kid, you’re gonna pull a muscle sitting like that.”

A nervous little laugh escapes my lips, and I shift a little in response.

Lutz smirks at me, then pushes up off the table at last, leaving me my free space. Then he winks, scoops up his backpack, and struts confidently out of the room just as the bell rings.


	19. Kidnapped (Luciano's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luciano is kidnapped (by one of the OCs, mind you).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luciano's POV.
> 
> Mentions (again) of rape.

The man pulls the blindfolds off my eyes and drops them on the wet concrete. _Hayden._

“So...” Hayden says, arms crossed. “I hear our _dear_ new kids in town are gay.”

He spits the last word as if just saying it is a sin. I shift uneasily, but my defiant glare covers the fear. “Well, _I_ am. My brother Flavio is bi. Our brother Sebastiano isn’t but he loves us anyway. And he has a knife fetish...so I’d _highly_ suggest you let me go unharmed.”

Hayden scoffs. “You’re gonna have to do better than that, gay boy.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologize, my voice thick with sarcasm. “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough for your puny brain to comprehend. Leave me the hell alone, _and_ my brothers, or suffer the consequences.”

“I hear gay boy Lovi took you faggots in,” Hayden continues as if he didn’t hear my cold threat. “Next thing you know, we’ll have a gay bar in the neighborhood!”

I clench my fists at my side. “You leave Lovi and his brother the _hell_ alone, or there’s gonna be fucking hell to pay, you judgmental prick.”

Hayden laughs cheerfully. “Too little too late, faggot boy. I already took care of precious little Lovino.”

“If you hurt him...”

“Oh, he’s alive,” Hayden says warmly, as if inviting me to a birthday party. “But he might not want to leave his room...for a few _years_.”

My eyes narrow with instant comprehension. “You’re saying you raped him. ...Again.”

He raises an amused eyebrow. “You caught on fast, bravo! Though I wouldn’t say _again_. Yet.”

“His cousin already did when he lived in Italy,” I tell him coldly. “So yes... _again_.”

Hayden chuckles. “Not my problem. Kudos to him, though! ...Get ’im, boys.”

His five goons close in on me, fists and feet and growls. I let myself go down with the loudest yelp of my brothers’ names I can mange, knowing at least one of them will hear me. And one is all I need. “Flavio! Sebastiano!”

I hit the concrete. Flavio comes running around the corner, followed by that Lutz guy I befriended earlier today. _Saved._

Hayden’s foot digs deep into my ribcage, shoving a broken rib deep into my lung. Blood drips steadily off my lower lip, and black spots dance across my vision until he finally pulls back to kick again.

I reach out and grab his lifted foot, yanking hard. He topples over backwards, bouncing on his upper back a little. The move knocks the wind out of him, and buys Flavio a little time.

I shift my eyes to Flavio, taking a quiet, deep breath to call, “ _Please._ ”

Flavio’s narrowed eyes are already glued to Hayden. Hayden’s goons continue hitting me, unaware of the impending doom that stands a few inches from them.

Lutz leaps up, wrapping a leg around one of the guy’s throat and flipping him over onto the concrete, his back on the concrete. Then he jabs two of his fingers into a point on the guy’s neck, and his eyes roll back into his head.

Lutz’s move seems to cue Flavio to move. He leaps forward, diving into one of them and tackling him to the ground. They sort of work together, methodically knocking them out while leaving them unharmed. Finally they back Hayden against the brick wall across from me, and Flavio just _punches_ him. Then Lutz knocks him out. Hayden keels over onto the concrete, limp and unconscious.

Flavio pulls his phone out, hits dial, and presses the phone to his ear. “...Lovi? Hey, you know how you said we’re family? Well we have a problem. Hayden and his buddies came after Lucca. No, no, he’s alive. But there’s blood coming out of his mouth. Didn’t you mention one of your friends’—Gilbert, I think it was—dads was a doctor? Because we definitely need one.”

After a moment’s pause, he says, “Sure,” and comes over to press the phone to my ear.

“Lucca?” Lovi asks.

I spit out a mouthful of blood. “Does he do this to you, too?”

“Yes,” he agrees. “Are you okay?”

I cough a few times. “No.”

There’s a pause and a muffled curse. “Give me five minutes,” he says.

“Okay.”

I nod. Flavio pulls the phone back and presses it to his ear. “...Yeah. Okay.”

He hangs up and pockets his phone. “Five minutes,” he says.

Lutz kneels down, raising his eyebrow as if curious. “Does who do what to who?”

I cough a few times. “Hayden. He said some comment about Lovi and I don’t like it.”

“If he hurt him...”                            

I shake my head. “He says he didn’t _hurt_ him, but he wouldn’t want to leave his room for a few years according to Hayden. Which makes me wonder what the hell he did.”

“Rape, probably,” Flavio says calmly.

I wince. “Don’t say that so lightly.”

Flavio shifts a little. “Sorry. But it’s the most likely.”

I nod. “That’s what I was thinking. But you shouldn’t sound so calm saying it.”

“Believe me, I’m not,” he says in that same dead tone. “I’m just good at hiding anger.”

Lutz rises to his feet, glancing at either end of the alleyway. Flavio rises as well and turns his eyes on him. “So who the hell are you?”

Lutz laughs. “Lutz, I’m from Germany. Lucca hung out with me at lunch.”

“You made a friend?” Flavio demands.

I glance at Lutz. “I think so.”

Lutz rolls his eyes. “Yes.”

“If you hurt him so God help me I will gut you,” Flavio tells him in a menacing voice.

Lutz raises an eyebrow. “If _anyone_ hurts him, they’d already be long dead by the time you found out.”

Flavio almost smiles. “Good.”

I shift a little, testing. My legs don’t hurt, my arms seem okay, but my torso aches and throbs. That’s good; I can at least walk.

I roll up to my hands and knees and push myself up to my feet, reaching out and laying a hand on the wall to keep myself balanced. Flavio takes notice within seconds, whirling around. “Hey, be careful.”

I shrug. “My legs and arms don’t hurt. It’s just my lungs and stomach.”

“You think I should tell Seb?” he asks.

I laugh weakly. “I think he’d kill you if you didn’t. But not until they’re already put away. He’d gut them, then resurrect them just so he could kill them again.”

“True,” he agrees.

I wrap my free arm around my middle, attempting to ease some of the pressure. Flavio fires off a text, then pockets his phone. “Sure you’re okay?”

“I never said that,” I laugh quietly. “Just I can stand. Hurts like a bitch.”

Lutz gives Hayden an extra kick for good measure. Flavio sort of smiles at him, then looks away before he can notice the look.

After a short silence, a few SWAT people come trotting up the alley. Lutz helps them gather and load up the kids, then returns to my side.

Just seconds after the SWAT van pulls out, Lovi comes trotting around the corner. A young doctor follows him, and the young kid who was staring at Lovi when he wore the tux. Toni, I think it was.

Lovi slides to a stop when he reaches us. So do the doctor and Toni.

Flavio turns and forces a smile. “Hey.”

Lovi nods. “Hey.”

Flavio turns a judgmental look on Toni. “Hello.”

Toni pretty well shrugs the look off. “Hey.”

There’s a pause. Then Toni—to Flavio’s surprise—asks me, “Hey, are you okay?”

I shake my head. “I can stand. But it hurts like a bitch.”

Toni sort of smiles. Lovi reaches out and lays a gentle hand on my arm.

After a tense silence, Lovi pulls me off the wall. I fall against him, letting him take most of my weight.

Toni moves around to my other side, and he similarly takes most of my weight on that side. Lovi smiles a little and rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t make a comment as we begin to move forward.


	20. Hayden's Mistake (Lovi's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastiano hears what happened to his baby brother. Lovi explains in more detail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovi's POV. Short.

Sebastiano pops up out of nowhere and demands, “Where is he?”

I push off the wall, waving a hand. “This way. We would’ve contacted you earlier but obviously they needed their asses kicked first. Flavio and some friend Lucca made, Lutz, took them down. SWAT and police have them locked up and put on the federal crime list for attempted murder, among other things. He’s alright, he took a rib to his lung but otherwise he was alright. A bit bruised, but considering I know what Hayden’s capable of that’s nothing. They fixed the rib so he’s fine, but he’s been stressing over whether or not Flavio told you anything yet so we figured we’d drop a line.”

Sebastiano nods once, letting me lead the way up the bright hall to the room.

I pause at the door. “He’s awake, but he is _really_ drugged. Like, so drugged he’s a bit talkative. So if he says something you don’t know, ask him again when he’s actually awake and not on drugs. Once he’s up and out of this place. They had to give him a triple dose before he’d pass out so they could fix his rib, so he’s a bit out of it.”

“Noted.”

I unlock the door and push it open, gesturing. Sebastiano slides inside, and I pocket the keys again


	21. I'm Alright (Sebastiano's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastiano chats with (a very drugged) Luciano.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sebastiano's POV.

“Seb! Hey!” Lucca smiles at me. I can already see what Lovi meant; he’s very drugged.

“Hey,” I greet him, squeezing his hand. “Flavee says some bitch came after you?”

Lucca giggles. “Something like that. Flavee and Lutz kicked their asses though so it’s okay.”

I raise an eyebrow. He grins. “His name’s Hayden. He dragged me from school to ask if we—all of us—were gay, and I said no, but some of us are—like me. And so he got mad. Don’t know what his problem is, but he set his buddies on me. So I yelled for Flavee. They kicked some ass and called Lovi, and he contacted his friend’s doctor dad and came to get me. They fixed what damage Hayden _did_ do, so I’m alright. They arrested ’em all, too. From Hayden’s comment about how Lovi wasn’t gonna stop him, though, I kinda wonder if he’s gone after him before.”

“If he has, he’s double dead,” I tell him coolly.

He giggles again. “The SWAT guys already charged them with attempted murder. Their futures are shot and Lovi and all them even put statements against them. And since there were cameras around they’re screwed for realzies. There’s no plausible denial. Lovi already told me that much. And since his big brother’s a lawyer, even if they try and fight it he can whoop their asses in court. They’ll pay their life away and no one will want to hire them and they totally just shot themselves in the foot.”

I raise an eyebrow, a tad amused. “Hm.”

Lucca squeezes my hand. “It’s okay, really. They got caught and Lovi’s okay. By the way, I made a friend. I think. I had a few classes with him and I talked to him at lunch. He says I’m cute.”

I laugh, just a little. “You are. But if he hurts you...”

“Flavee already said. He said if anyone hurts me, they’d be dead before either of you even got wind of it.”

 _Hm. I like this kid._ “Hm. Interesting.”

He laughs yet again. “His name is Lutz, he’s from Germany. Also apparently he knows pressure points and can totally kick ass and look cool doing it.”

I roll my eyes, amused. “That’s good.”

Lucca grins. “Yep.”

He pops the ‘ _p_ ’ like he used to when we were little. I sort of smile, remembering that one night before Mom and Dad got into drugs and were actually nice to us.

“I love you,” he says.

I laugh a little. “I love you, too, dork.”

“I just think we don’t say it often enough,” he says. “Lovi and his brothers say it all the time.”

“They also didn’t grow up with our parents,” I point out.

“They grew up without _any_ parents, though,” he points out in return. “They had trauma, too. A different kind, but still. And they still say it all the time, and you can really tell they mean it.”

I gather him up in my arms and hug him gently to me. “I don’t think we really _need_ to say it. We show it. We protect each other. That’s what we do. If you want to say it, that’s okay.”

He wraps his arms around me, kissing my cheek. “I miss it, though.”

I close my eyes. “There are times I miss Mom and Dad. And I mean... _Mom and Dad._ Not the drug addicts that live in their bodies now.”

“Yeah, me, too,” he says quietly. “I kinda wonder if the drugs influenced them kicking us out.”

“Possibly,” I agree.

“It would explain why they’d say they’d kill you, though,” he says. “They were too high to realize just what they were saying.”

“And once they said it, it was too late to go back,” I nod. “It’s possible.”

“I don’t know. But if...maybe Lovi and his family could get them clean again,” he says. “And if they can, then we get them back. It’d be dangerous, but Feli took a serious danger coming to talk to you and he made it out okay.”

I consider it. “We can’t ask them to do that. They’re already doing so much for us.”

“We...we don’t really have to ask,” he says. “Feli just offered. He never asked, nor did we. If we even mention they’re druggies around them...boom. Fixed.”

I laugh a little. “You make it sound like magic. But I get what you’re saying. I suppose it might be worth a mention, so long as you don’t _expect_ _them_ to do something about it.”

He nods. “Of course not. They’re already being so nice.”


	22. Druggies (Lovi's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucca (Luciano) mentions that their parents are druggies. Lovi and Feli make a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovi's POV. Mentions of (severe) drug abuse and physical abuse.

“Were your parents just mean?” he asks.

Lucca starts to shake his head, then stops. Feli frowns. “What?”

Lucca drops his eyes. “Well, no. They weren’t mean for no reason. It started after they got ahold of cocaine and heroin. And everything just went downhill from there. The first time they used was the first time they hit Seb—or any of us, for that matter. But it wasn’t the last. I think they’re still using, from what Seb says. But I’m too scared to go back and ask them to stop.”

Feli and I exchange a glance. “We could—” Feli starts to suggest.

“We couldn’t ask you to do that,” Lucca says quickly. “They’re dangerous. I mean, you met them when you were getting Seb out. They’re dangerous. You’ve already done so much for us, it would be selfish to expect anything more.”

Feli blushes. “I know they’re dangerous. But if we can cut the drug supplier and then talk to them...”

Lucca stares at him, inbetween horror and amazement. “I don’t know if you’re suicidal or just that selfless of a person, but...damn. They’d kill you if they saw you again!”

Feli scoffs. “As if. I won’t be alone this time. And they won’t have any more access to drugs. Supplies dwindle, they start getting desperate. They start talking.”

“Or crazy,” Lucca adds.

Feli giggles. I take a step forward, finally speaking up. “If there’s any chance....Lucca, believe me when I say we know how important family is in this.”

Lucca blushes and looks away. Feli nods once. “He’s right.”

Lucca’s blush deepens and he sort of pouts. “If they hurt you, we’ll kill them ourselves.”

Feli sort of laughs. “Feel free.”


	23. Andrés (Flavio's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flavio meets Andrés for the first time. FLUFF ENSUES.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flavio's POV. ALL THE FLUFFS
> 
> Also Flavio being tough and getting himself punched by a girl XD

“Oh my God, you’ll never believe what Jessica did,” the girl sneers. She’s been gossiping like this so often over the last two days I’m already sick of it.

I push off the lockers and make my way up to her, arms crossed. “ _Oh my God, no one...fucking... cares_,” I tell her, voice thick with sarcasm. “Bitch.”

She scowls at me and tosses her hair sassily over one shoulder. “No one asked you, blondie.”

I almost laugh. That’s basically what my name means. “Never said they did. But you need to learn when to shut the fuck up, gossiping bitch.”

A fist connects with my face, and I stumble back a little. “Ow!”

I wipe the blood from my face, shaking out my sleeve. “That was uncalled for.”

She smirks. I move closer. “I won’t hit a girl, because a proper gentleman would never. But that doesn’t mean I have to put up with your bullshit.”

I shove her a little. “ _Shoo._ ”

She scurries off with one last defiant glare. I dust my hands off, muttering a few choice curses under my breath and rubbing at my sore nose.

A strip of black cloth is pressed into my hand. I use it to wipe the blood off as much as I can, then fold it and drop it in a nearby trash can. My nose isn’t broken, luckily, but it still throbs angrily.

I look up. A tall, muscular, tan, beautifully green eyed, _fucking hot_ man stands before me, an amused smirk dancing on his plump lips.

I blink a few times and straighten self-consciously. “Uh…”

He smirk only grows. “Hola.”

“Uh, ciao,” I greet him quietly.

“Do you have any idea just how totally _hot_ that was?” he laughs.

I smile shyly, not sure how to answer that. It’s probably just a rhetorical question anyway.

He extends a thick, muscular hand— _this guy has muscles everywhere!_ —and says, “I’m Andrés. I’m from Spain. Barcelona, mainly.”

It takes me a moment to gather myself, accept his hand, and answer, “Um, I’m Flavio. I’m from Italy.”

He chuckles and drops my hand. “Flavio. So she called you by name?”

I can’t help but laugh a little. “Pretty much, yeah.”

He smirks. I tear my eyes away again, trying not to stare.

“Don’t be shy,” he laughs easily.

I almost smile. “I’m not. I’m trying not to stare.”

He smirks confidently and winks. “Go ahead and stare if you like. It’s not every day a hot guy stares at you, eh?”

I duck my head again, this time to hide a warm blush. I’ve never been flirted with before by _anyone_ , but there’s no doubt about it with him; he’s _very_ openly flirting. I’m not sure if I’m more flustered, happy, or nervous now.

Sebastiano materializes at my side, dropping a hand on my shoulder. “Morning, Flavee,” he says casually.

I look up, trying not to laugh. “Uh, hey.”

Sebastiano tilts his head at me. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine, Seb,” I assure him. “Really.”

Andrés raises an eyebrow. “Hello.”

Sebastiano glances at him and then returns his eyes to me. I roll my eyes, pushing a little on Seb. “Back the fuck off, Seb. I’m fine.”

I gesture vaguely. “That’s Andrés. Andrés...this is my older brother Sebastiano.”

Andrés inclines his head. “Hola.”

“Ciao,” Seb greets him coldly.

I elbow him. “At least _try_ to be nice.”

Seb crosses his arms. I roll my eyes, frustrated with him.

Luciano instantly materializes at my side, obviously noticing Seb’s presence. I drop my head in my hands, muffling a groan.

“Hi,” Luciano says.

“Hola,” Andrés answers.

I mutter a few choice curses under my breath before looking up to glare at him. “Shoo. I can handle myself.”

“Uh-huh,” Seb says sarcastically.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I grumble.

“I’m Andrés,” he tells Luciano.

“Luciano,” Lucca tells him. “I’m Flavee’s little brother.”

Andrés still looks unfailingly amused. Seb finally slips off, and Lucca ruffles my hair, purposely blowing a tiny bit of air on the curl before following him.

I twitch a little, shaking my head, before returning my attention to Andrés. “Sorry, my brothers are a bit overprotective. And Seb’s got a knife fetish.”

“ _Knife_ fetish?” he laughs. “Oh, this just gets more and more interesting.”

I’m staring again— _at least my mouth isn’t hanging open_ —but Andrés doesn’t seem to mind. Instead a smile spreads across his lips yet again. He seems pretty cheerful, at least for now.

I shift a little, not sure what to make of this new development. I’ve never been so strongly attracted to any one person, and his immediate acceptance of my crazy-as-fuck family is only making me like him more.

There’s a short silence, which Andrés is quick to break. “Why’d someone as cute as you leave Italy, hm?”

A breathless, quiet, flustered laugh falls from my lips like the pitter-patter of the first raindrops. “Uh, because Italians are Catholic and our parents were druggies? Feli and his family got us out.”

“What does Catholicism have to do with anything?” he asks with a little bit of a sneer.

I drop my eyes. “Lucca—Luciano—is gay and I’m bi so our parents kicked us to the streets. _After_ neglecting and smacking us around for a few years first.”

He mutters something in Spanish under his breath. With the similarities to Italian, I can sort of guess he’s saying ‘ _I’ll kill them for that._ ’ Then he says, “Christianity in general hates that. My sister is straight—Ana—but they told me I was going to Hell for being bi.”

“Damn,” I mutter under my breath.

“What?” he asks.

I look up, a little surprised. “Oh, uh, Sebastiano is straight, too. But Lucca and I aren’t.”

“Well it doesn’t make a lick of difference,” he says confidently.

I drop my eyes. “It makes a lot of people hate you. Judge a book by its cover.”

“Hey...” he says, his voice softening, “those people don’t matter.”

“When it’s family it does,” I counter softly.

“Your family is shit, then,” he declares. “And they’re missing out, because you’re fucking amazing.”

I bury my face in my hands, flustered  beyond flustered. It takes me a few minutes’ silence to realize I’m sort of cry-laughing. Tears are falling, but though it’s muffled I’m laughing. And the tears can’t be heard in my voice, just the flustered, nervous joy.

The bell rings overhead, and we both jump. He turns to glare defiantly at the bell, and that gives me a moment to slip quickly up the hall and escape. I don’t want him to know I’m crying; I’m just so overwhelmed by all this, I can hardly believe what’s happening to me.


End file.
